Who is Kaitlyn Dever in The Last of Us season 2? Co-star claims she needed extra security to keep away haters

Kaitlyn Dever, known for her roles in various films and TV shows, plays Abby in the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. This casting decision has sparked some controversy, especially the fan's reactions which have reportedly resulted in security increases for the actress on set.

Kaitlyn Dever’s co-star on the show, Isabela Merced commented that allegedly security was tightened following the extreme responses of some fans of the video game.

In an episode on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast on August 15, Merced claimed that there are people who genuinely hate Abby, a character on the show, which has led to security personnel increasing their protection of Dever. Merced said:

“Well unfortunately there’s a lot of weirdos in this world because there are folks that really genuinely dislike Abby and Abby is not even a person. Filming this had to be done in a way that Kaitlyn had to be extra secured by security.”

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Kaitlyn Dever plays Abby in The Last of Us season 2

The upcoming season which is based on the video game titled The Last of Us Part II, has Abby as one of its main protagonists. The game is played out from both Abby’s and Ellie’s point of view. Abby is a soldier who is involved in a war between her group of militants and a cult.

Its storyline and the actions taken by the character have made Abby one of the polarising characters in gaming. Due to this, the game received a great deal of backlash when it was released in 2020.

The character's unpopularity among some segments of the gaming community appears to have carried over to the casting of Kaitlyn Dever, who joined the HBO series in January 2024.

This backlash has not only been against the character but also against the actress playing it. Some fans have allegedly commented against the casting of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. The fans claim that Abby's character in the video game is more muscular, compared to Dever.

Meanwhile, Isabela Merced expressed confidence in her co-star Kaitlyn Dever’s ability to handle the pressure.

“Kaitlyn is such a cool person who does not get phased by things, she really had her head in the right place, and also is going through a lot personally right now,” Merced referring to the sudden loss of Dever’s mother.

The show has been developed by Neil Druckmann, who also co-created the original game, and Craig Mazin, who has been almost faithful to the source material. Merced stated that despite the original creator's involvement, this has not prevented a faction of fans from expressing their discontent.

As the shooting for The Last of Us season 2 is ongoing with its release planned in 2025, the series remains in the spotlight, both for its narrative and the real-world reactions it generates. Merced, who will play Dina, Ellie’s lover, in the next season, admitted that filming for such a dark and emotionally charged show is not easy.

As for new faces, season 2 will add Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Wright, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, and Danny Ramirez to the main cast alongside Dever and Merced.

The series has been praised for its efforts in staying as close to the game as possible while exploring its complex themes and characters.